UPDATED 1:00 PM PT – Friday, March 19, 2021
The CDC has relaxed social distancing guidelines for schools. The agency published the updated guidelines today, saying students can sit within three feet of each other as long as they remain masked.
CDC has updated strategies to help schools operate safely and slow the spread of #COVID19 to protect students, teachers, & staff. Learn more about updated strategies here: https://t.co/jLenNxjipU. pic.twitter.com/QINenAQ1az
— CDC (@CDCgov) March 19, 2021The guidelines apply to students in kindergarten through high school in communities with low, moderate and substantial transmission. However, middle and high school students should remain six feet apart in communities where transmission is high.
“We want to emphasize that six feet of distance or more is more important between teachers and other adults and between teachers and students,” Dr. Greta Massetti, senior scientist at the CDC said. “Also in situations where masking can’t be used, for example, when kids are eating and also in common areas where different classrooms or cohorts might mix.”
The update paved the way for more schools across the country to reopen, as many administrators complained six feet of social distance was not feasible in the classroom.
Original Story: CDC: Students can maintain 3 feet of social distance